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Oakdale couple fights $500 water bill

For the past five years, Teresa McGuire says her Penn American water bill has averaged $50-$60 a month but in either December, January or February it balloons based on an estimated us of 52 thousand gallons of water.

For the past five years, Teresa McGuire says her Penn American water bill has averaged $50-$60 a month but in either December, January or February it balloons based on an estimated us of 52 thousand gallons of water.

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Updated: 5:57 PM EST Feb 2, 2016

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WEBVTT ON 4 >> THERE IS A PROBLEM IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN AND GO AWAY. REPORTER THERESA MAGUIRE ALLOWS PITTSBURGH'S ACTION NEWS 4 TO LISTEN IN AS SHE AIRS OUT H GRIEVANCE WHERE PENN AMERICAN WATER. SHE AND HER HUSBAND, FRANK, WERE JUST HIT WITH A $569 WAT BILL ARE YOU GOING TO PAY IT? NO, I'M NOT I'M GOING TO FIGHT IT. THERE IS NO REASON TO PAY THAT. I COULDN'T HUMANLY, POSSIBLY HA USED 52,600 GALLONS IN A MONTH. REPORTER: MAGUIRE SAYS THE PROBLEM IS THAT FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS THEIR WATER BILL AVERAGED 55 TO $65 A MONTH BUT EVERY YEAR IN EITHER DECEMBER, JANUARY OR FEBRUARY IT BALLOONS, JUST FOR THE O MONTH. >> THIS BILL REPRESENTS 201 2015, 2016, CORRECT. >> YES. REPORTER: LOOK AT THE 2016 BILL FOR JANUARY. LEADING UP UNTIL JANUARY 2016, THEN IT SHOOTS UP AGAIN. >> UH-HUH, YEP. REPORTER: AND YOUR BILL THIS YE IS $569 FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY. >> YEAH. FOR ONE MONTH. REPORTER: THAT IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATED USE O 52,000-GALLONS OF WATER, IT'S NOT EVEN THE ACTUAL USAGE. >> YOU WOULDN'T EVEN USE THAT MANY GALLONS IN A WHOLE MONTH, YOU'D HAVE TO KEEP ON GOING. I MEAN THAT'S WHAT THIEF THEY ACTUALLY EVEN TOLD ME, IT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE SO HOW DO I HAVE A BILL THAT SAYS I USE 52,400-GALLONS FOR THE MONTH? REPORTER: MAGUIRE SAYS IT IS BATTLE THEY FIGHT THIS TIME EVERY YEAR. DID YOU HAVE PLUMBERS COME HERE AND INSPECT YOUR PIPES? THEY CAME, WE DID THE DYE TEST THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE HOUSE NO LEAKS. REPORTER: PENN AMERICAN JUST INFORMED PITTSBURGH'S ACTION NEWS 4 IT DISCOVERED A MALFUNCTION OF THE MAGUIRE'S WATER METER DUE TO THE METER PIT FILLING UP WITH STORM WATERS AFFECTING READINGS TO THE BILLING TEAM. WE ARE TOLD A NEW WATER METER WAS JUST INSTALLED THIS AFTERNOON AND THE MA GUYS ARE WILL BE CREDITED

Oakdale couple fights $500 water bill

For the past five years, Teresa McGuire says her Penn American water bill has averaged $50-$60 a month but in either December, January or February it balloons based on an estimated us of 52 thousand gallons of water.